Exodus 6

1 The LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land."

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Now you will see what I will do to the king [and his people]. I will powerfully [MTY] compel him to let my people go. In fact, by my power [MTY] [I will force] him to expel them from his land!”

2 Then God spoke to Moses, and said to him, "I am the LORD.

God also said to Moses/me, “I am Yahweh.

3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make myself known to them by my name 'the LORD.'

I am the one who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and [told them that I] was God Almighty, but I did not [tell] them that my name [was Yahweh].

4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, in which they were foreigners.

I also made my solemn agreement with them, promising to give them the Canaan region. That was the area in which they were living as foreigners.

5 Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.

Furthermore, I have heard the Israeli people as they were groaning [because of the hard work that] the Egyptians forced them to do as their slaves. I have thought about that solemn promise [that I made].

6 Therefore tell the children of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments:

So tell the Israeli people that [I said this: ] ‘I am Yahweh. I will free you from the burdens [of heavy work] that the Egyptians [have given you]. I will free you from being their slaves. With my great power [MTY] and by punishing them [MTY] very severely, I will save you.

7 and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

I will cause you to be my own people, and I will be your God, [the one you worship]. You will truly know that I, Yahweh your God, am the one who has freed you from the burdens [of work as slaves] of the Egyptians.

8 I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'"

And I will bring you to the land that I solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. You will possess it [forever]. I, Yahweh, am [promising this].’”

9 Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

Moses/I told that to the Israeli people, but they did not believe what he/I said. They were very discouraged [IDM] because of the hard work [that they had been forced to do as slaves].

10 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh said to Moses/me,

11 "Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land."

“Go and tell the king of Egypt [again] that he must allow the Israeli people to leave his land!”

12 Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Look, the children of Israel haven't listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"

But Moses/I said to Yahweh, “Listen [to what I am saying]. [Even] the Israeli people have not paid attention to what I [told them]. But I am a poor speaker. [MET, MTY] So (why should the king pay attention to what I tell him?/the king will certainly not pay attention to what I [tell him]!)” [RHQ]

13 The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

But Yahweh spoke to Aaron and Moses/me and commanded them/us, “Tell the Israeli people and the king of Egypt that I have [commissioned you two] to lead the Israeli people out of Egypt.”

14 These are the heads of their fathers' houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

(Here is/I will now give you) a list of the ancestors of [Moses/me and Aaron]: The sons of Reuben, who was Jacob’s oldest son, [were] Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. They were [ancestors of] the clans [that have those same names].

15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jakin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

The sons of Simeon [were] Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul. Shaul’s mother was a woman from the Canaan people-group. Those men also were [ancestors of] clans [that have those same names].

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.

These are the names of the sons of Levi, in the order in which they were born: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi was 137 years old [when he died].

17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

The sons of Gershon [were] Libni and Shimei. They were ancestors of clans that have those names.

18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years.

The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath was 133 years old [when he died].

19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

The sons of Merari [were] Mahli and Mushi. All of those people whose names [I have listed] belonged to tribes/clans descended from Levi, in the order in which they were born.

20 Amram took Jochebed his father's sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

Amram married his father’s sister, Jochebed. She was the mother of Aaron and Moses/me. Amram was 137 years old [when he died].

21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zikri.

The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri.

The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

23 Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. Elisheba gave birth to [four sons]: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

The sons of Korah [were] Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. They were the ancestors of the Korah people-group.

25 Eleazar Aaron's son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of ancestral houses of the Levites according to their families.

Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to Phinehas. [That ends the list of] the families and clans that were descended from Levi.

26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom God said, "Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their regiments."

Aaron and Moses/I were the ones to whom Yahweh said, “Lead all the families and clans of the Israeli people out of Egypt.”

27 These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.

They/We were the ones who spoke to the king of Egypt about bringing the Israeli people out of Egypt.

28 It happened on the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

On the day that Yahweh spoke to Moses/me in Egypt,

29 that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the LORD. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you."

he said, “I am Yahweh. You must tell the king everything that I say to you.”

30 Moses said before the LORD, "Look, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?"

But Moses/I said to Yahweh, “Listen to me. I am not a good speaker. [MET, MTY] So (the king will certainly not pay attention to what I say/why should the king pay attention to what I tell him?)!” [RHQ]